factoid

American  

[fak-toid] / ˈfæk tɔɪd /

noun

1. an insignificant or trivial fact.

2. something fictitious or unsubstantiated that is presented as fact, devised especially to gain publicity and accepted because of constant repetition.

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factoid British  

/ ˈfæktɔɪd /

noun

1. a piece of unreliable information believed to be true because of the way it is presented or repeated in print

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Other Word Forms

• factoidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of factoid

First recorded in 1973; fact + -oid

Example Sentences

For me it was this tiny factoid: Douglas Kelley, the psychiatrist, was also an amateur magician.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025

Students no longer read through every available factoid on, say, Walmart’s wages for hourly workers and write a memo—tasks that can be easily circumvented with generative AI tools.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 1, 2025

"It's just a weird little factoid about our community," she said.

From BBC • Dec. 23, 2024

It's not uncommon to hear the oft-repeated factoid that glass is actually a liquid, not a solid.

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2023

I nodded as if I’d already known that factoid.

From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller